“Isn't there?” He asked almost immediately. There were moments, little sparks of clarity, where it seemed Deimos might get to the deeper side of his aspects. Like where he acknowledged that fear was part of all things. What troubled Zeus then, was his sudden shift on how some of these things occur naturally and that he had no control over them.
Which simply was not true. Certainly things happened of their own accord – Zeus would never challenge that, but affect could still be had on it. “I think you are looking at this from an incomplete and albeit skewed angle.” It was time to be more blunt and state things as they were. “Things can be done, and should be done.”
He stood up again and paced before his grandson. “You are correct, though. Fear is necessary. Especially on a lesser scale. People should fear their King enough to make them compliant, but not enough to make them appear to be nothing but a whimpering child. Olympians and Underworlders alike should fear repercussion enough to ensure that they behave as is ordained by law. Fear is a great motivator.” Those and more were the sorts of things Zeus was hoping Deimos would put his talents and efforts in to.
There was the suspicion that perhaps his grandson was not going to see it from that perspective. So, he would try another angle. “Let's take you sister, for instance. She is balance and harmony, concord and to an extent... I would even say natural order. Not peace, but balance. That natural duality in all things. But does she create opposite numbers that balance each other out? No. Nature has a want to be balanced, but she can, if she chooses, affect where the scales tip. She can soothe strife, or let it build, or she can let it teeter precariously on that perfect point of balance. If she chooses.”
Zeus raised a finger to indicate that he was about to make a point. “You have a decision to make, Deimos. You can continue, as you are, as nothing more than a violent servant of war. Or you can rise above and use your talents to their full capacity. You can be nothing but fists, or you can use your mind.” Zeus looked directly in the eye of his grandson. “It is your decision to make and we won't have this conversation again.”